My 20-Gallon Long Leopard Gecko Enclosure Set-Up
After receiving quite a few comments and questions regarding my set-up on Pinterest, I decided to break down what is in my enclosure, and where I got everything. There are a few DIY elements in there, so if you're a crafty person, maybe some of these ideas will inspire you to create something awesome for your own reptile!
When we first got Artemis back in 2019, he started his life in a humble 10-Gallon tank with the basics: lighting, under-tank heater, temperature/humidity gauges, cool/humid hides, dishes for food/water/calcium, paper towel substrate for the bottom, and an artificial plant:
Even though he probably didn't mind it, I always knew that his set-up was going to be temporary. I mean, it was pretty basic.
I looked around for reptile decor, searched all the terms online to see if there were any decent looking options that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg, and yeah...maybe I was impatient, or too cheap, or maybe a combination of both because I couldn't find anything that I liked.
So that's when I started making some of the elements in his enclosure and created my first hide. There are plenty of different tutorials online about how to make hides so I won't bore you with the process! I might make my own tutorial on how I made mine if there is enough interest. This was the result of the remodel of the existing 10-Gallon with the first hide I ever made:
And let me tell you, Arte really loved his new mini habitat.
He started to explore and utilize his entire space. As you could probably tell from the photos, he never was in one single spot. Seeing how active he became, I knew that I was going to upgrade him again into an even larger space.
Fast-forward to now! This is Artemis's current set-up in 2021. He's lived here for a couple of years now and has gone through a few minor changes throughout the months, but this set-up should still be pretty familiar.
I'll get all of the boring stuff out of the way: The 20-Gallon tank, lighting, under-tank heater, temperature/humidity gauges, and water dish are from PETSMART or Petco.
I picked up a 20-Gallon-Long fish tank during Petco's $-Per-Gallon Sale and grabbed a corresponding grid top to enclose my tank. This combination cost me under $30. I highly suggest you look up when sales are happening in your area.
I ended up making some cool-toned hides using leftover material from my last hide making project. The materials include grout and styrofoam amongst other things, and I picked all of these supplies up at The Home Depot.
For substrate, I used non-adhesive drawer liners. They come out in rolls and there are so many different options to choose from! I've picked up rolls at The Dollar Tree and over at The Home Depot, and both work well. Just make sure you pick up extra rolls when you're at the dollar store because those rolls might not contain all the length that you need. It's always nice to have extra liners on hand. I not only keep extra for an easy swap out when I clean, but to line the back of my enclosure to give it a more uniform look.
The scattered greenery throughout the tank are just artificial succulents that I got in a pack from Amazon. The cholla wood and green wall are from home and gift store that has since closed down due to COVID.
I crocheted Artemis's hammock. Definitely one of his favorite spots. His first hammock was attached to a little soap dish with a suction cup on it. Since then, I've upgraded him to hooks.
...and that's pretty much it. Thanks for reading. ☺️